Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L19/00—Drying devices for crockery or table-ware, e.g. tea-cloths
  • A47L19/04—Crockery baskets; Draining-racks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to dish racks.
• Dish racks are kitchen organizers designed for holding kitchen articles, such as cups, dishes, plates, cutlery, and other utensils for drying.
• a dish rack typically includes a body with a structure for supporting the articles in an organized manner for drying, and a catchment platform for catching water drips from the articles.
• dish racks have been developed with various structural features to enhance functionalities of dish racks.
• U.S. utility application nos.: 11/026,254; 1 1/601,441 ; 1 1/1 13,898; 1 1/157,302; 1 1/81 1,167; 1 1/899,440 and 1 1/201,802 disclose various features desirable for dish racks.
• Some of the disclosed features are configurable by the user to provide flexible options to the users.
• the invention is directed to a dish rack that includes structures for improved functionalities and aesthetics.
• an extendable drip tray is provided to increase when needed the drip catchment area of the dish rack, to beyond the footprint or general perimeter of the dish rack.
• the extendable drip tray may be slidably supported by rails below the main body of the dish rack, to cover an area beyond the side of the dish rack body, thereby increasing the drip catchment area.
• pivoted % attachments are provided along the outside walls of the main body of the dish rack, which can be pivoted when needed to extend an area beyond the perimeter of the body to provide supports for holding kitchen articles such as cups and glasses for drying.
• the attachment is a cup holder.
• the drip tray can be extended to catch water drips from the extended cup holding area.
• a wire rack which may be removable or detachable, is provided with pivoted support prongs for configuring the wire rack.
• the main body of the dish rack is configured with a substantially continuous metal wall that defines the perimeter or footprint of the dish rack, and the internal drip area, which improves ease of cleaning the body as well as the aesthetics of the dish rack.
• a base is provided which is made of another material, such as plastic, to facilitate attachment of the cup holders to the metal wall. The plastic base also facilitates support and coupling of metal legs and other components to the metal body of the dish rack.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dish rack, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 2 is a top view of the dish rack in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a front view of the dish rack in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 4 is a rear view of the dish rack in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 5 is a side view of the dish rack in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the dish rack in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a dish rack in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, with the slidable drip tray in the retracted position.
• Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the dish rack in Fig. 7, with the slidable drip tray in the retracted position.
• Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the dish rack in Fig. 7, with the slidable drip tray in the retracted position.
• Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the dish rack in Fig. 7, with the slidable drip tray in the extended position.
• Fig. 1 1 is a bottom view of the dish rack in Fig. 7, with the slidable drip tray in the extended position.
• Fig. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the dish rack in Fig. 7, with the slidable drip tray in the extended position.
• Fig. 13 is an external view showing the cup holders in the extended position, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 14 is an internal view showing a cup holder in the stowed position, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 15A is a top view of the cup holder pivot mechanism with the cup holder in the stowed position
• Fig. 15B is a top view of the cup holder pivot mechanism with the cup holder in the extended position.
• Fig. 16 is a top perspective view showing the cup holder pivot mechanism with the cup holder in the stowed position.
• Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the cup holder pivot mechanism with the cup holder in the extended position.
• Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a wire rack, with the prongs extended, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a wire rack, with a row of the prongs stowed.
• Fig. 20 is a top view of the wire rack, with the prongs extended upright.
• dish rack having a wire rack within a main body for supporting kitchen articles such as cups, dishes, plates, cutlery, and other cooking utensils.
• Other types of dish racks e.g., a dish rack having a wire frame body
• dish racks may take advantage of certain of the novel features of the present invention.
• Figs. 1 to 6 illustrate a dish rack in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• the dish rack 10 includes a main body 12.
• the body 12 has walls 13 defining the footprint or general perimeter of the dish rack 10.
• the walls also define the regular drip area of the dish rack. Water dripping from the kitchen articles is caught and diverted by a drip tray 18 spaced below the drip area, below the walls 13 and a wire rack 16.
• the drip area defined by the walls 13 is not closed at the bottom, comprising an opening exposing an underlying drip tray 18, allowing water to drip onto the underlying drip tray 18.
• Legs 14 extend below the body 12.
• the wire rack 16 is held within the walls 13 of the body 12, extending to cover the entire drip area.
• a removable accessory tray 17 is provided at one side of the drip area, which may include a knife block and baskets for holding items such as silverware.
• the drip tray 18 is slidably supported on rails below the body, which is sized to extend to provide coverage to catch water drips from the entire drip area.
• the tray 18 may include a drainage spout 19, which may be rotatable for directing water drainage to a desired direction with respect to the sides of the body 12.
• Cup holders 20 are pivotally supported along at least one side wall 13 of the body 12. In Fig. 1, the cup holders 20 are pivoted in the outward, extended position.
• the drip catchment area can be extended to increase coverage to catch water drips at beyond the footprint or general perimeter of the dish rack.
• the drip tray 18 By sliding the drip tray 18 below the main body of the dish rack to cover an area beyond the walls of the dish rack body, the overall drip area and complementary water catchment area of the dish rack can be effectively extended beyond the regular drip area within the walls 13 of the dish rack.
• Fig. 7 illustrates a dish rack 10 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, with a slight modification to the wire rack 16 as compared to the wire rack in Fig. 1.
• the drip tray 18 is shown in the retracted position (Fig. 9 shows the spout removed).
• Figs. 10 to 12 illustrate the slidable drip tray 18 in the extended position (Fig. 10 shows the view with the wire rack 16 removed; Fig. 12 shows the spout removed).
• the drip tray 18 is slidably supported by longitudinal rails 22 provided below two opposing walls.
• longitudinal tracks are defined by the longitudinal rails 22, which are in the form of a rod or wire supported between two adjacent legs 14.
• Complementary guides 23 and 25 provided at the bottom side of the drip tray 18 ride slidably against the rails 22.
• grooves may be defined at the bottom side of the drip tray 18 to receive the rails 22 for sliding motion.
• the rail 22 is supported by the legs 14, with a short bent section 24 at each end of the rail 22.
• This bent section 24 provides a stop to limit the extent of sliding for the drip tray 18.
• the bent section 24 engages the center rail guide 25 to limit the drip tray from further sliding on the rail 22. This would be the fully extended position of the drip tray 18.
• an apron 26 in the form of a ramp extends from the base edge of the wall 13 into the drip area, partially covering the drip area.
• the apron 26 slopes slightly downwardly towards the opposite side of the drip area, thereby draining water falling on the apron 26 towards the center of the drip area.
• the apron 26 is sized to match the desired fully extended position of the drip tray 18, so that the apron 26 overlaps the drip tray 18 below in its fully extended position (and non-extended position as well), thereby maintaining full coverage in the drip area to catch water dripping from the articles supported by the wire rack 16 above, regardless of the position of the drip tray 18.
• the user has the option of using the dish rack 10 with the drip tray 18 in the extended or non-extended position.
• the drip tray 18 provides additional catchment surface area for catching water drips from articles such as cups supported outside of the regular drip area (i.e., the area covered by the wire rack 16) as defined within the side walls 13 of the body 12.
• the drip tray 18 may be provided with surface textures, such as raised rings (which may be useful to retain item such as cups if they are placed directly on the extended drip tray 18).
• the drip tray 18 may be contoured to drain water to one edge or to the center of the drip tray 18 (e.g., a sloping contour, v-shaped controur, bowl-shaped contour, ramp, etc.) In the embodiment shown, the drip tray
• the drain spout 18 has a drain hole 21 (see Fig. 2) from the top surface of the drip tray 18, leading to a spout 19 at the bottom surface of the drip tray 18 to discharge water.
• the drain spout 21 see Fig. 2
• the drip tray 19 is rotatably attached to the drip tray, to direct water to a range of positions (e.g. one of two orthogonal sides of the dish rack) to match the environment (e.g., the location of a kitchen sink).
• a range of positions e.g. one of two orthogonal sides of the dish rack
• the environment e.g., the location of a kitchen sink
• pivotal attachments e.g., cup holders
• the pivoted cup supports can be pivoted outward from the wall when needed to extend an area beyond the perimeter of the body to provide supports for holding cups for drying, and they can be pivoted towards and against the wall in a stowed position when not in use.
• the pivoted cup holders are provided along the side of the base at which the drip tray can slidably extend, so that they can take advantage of the extended drip tray to provide catch area for drips from items supported by the pivotal attachments.
• the drip tray is extended to catch water drips when the cup holders are pivoted to define the extended cup holding area.
• the cup holder 20 includes a U-shaped loop section 28 shaped and/or contoured to facilitate support of kitchen articles such as cups and small bowls.
• Fig. 14 is a view with the side wall 13 removed).
• the pivoted cup holders may be provided with stops to more securely maintain the loop section 28 in the extended position and the stowed position.
• loop section 28 are pivotally supported by the base 60 which supports the wall 13, on the interior side of the wall 13. More specifically, the loop section 28 is pivotally supported by a pivot mechanism supported on the base 60 that includes sideways outward extending tabs 29 that ride over complementary notches 30 when the loop section 28 is pivoted, thereby securing the loop section 28 in the extended position shown in Fig. 15A and the stowed positions shown in Fig. 15B.
• the base 60 will be described in further detail below.
• a wire rack which may be removable or detachable, is provided with pivoted support prongs for configuring the wire rack.
• the wire rack 16 includes a grid of wires shaped and/or contoured to facilitate support of kitchen articles such as plates, bowls, cups, etc.
• part of the wire rack 16 could be shaped and contoured to form raised rack or partitions 32 with slotted openings to facilitate support of plates.
• the wire rack 16 is provided with prongs 34 that can be configurable or adjustable by the user.
• one or more rows of interconnected prongs 34 are provided, which can be pivoted from a generally horizontal flip-down stowed position in which the prongs are substantially flush with the general base plane of the wire rack 16 (one of the rows shown in Fig. 19), to a generally vertical flip-up or extended position in which the prongs 34 extends upwards and away from the general base plane of the wire rack 16.
• the row of interconnected prongs 34 are commonly attached to a horizontal pivot bar, which rod has two ends, each pivotally attached to a ring/cylindrical pivot support 37 to allow rotation of the wire.
• Each prong 34 terminates in an enlarged end (e.g., a ball shaped end 35).
• each row of interconnected prongs 34 are provided with one or more holding prongs 38.
• the holding prongs 38 are connected to the pivot bar 36 that supports the prongs 38.
• Each holding prong 38 has an enlarged end (e.g., ball shaped end 39), which is resiliently or spring biased against an adjacent wire section 40 of the wire rack 16 (which wire section 40 and/or holding prong 38 flexes a little laterally) as the row of prongs 34 are flipped from a horizontal position to a vertical position.
• the ball end 39 of the holding prong 38 is supported against the top of the adjacent wire 40, which holds the row of prongs 34 in the vertical flip-up position.
• a stop is provided that provides a limit to the range of rotation of the horizontal pivot rod 36, and thus define the vertical and horizontal limits for the prongs 16.
• the stop is in the form of a short bent wire section 42, which presses against the adjacent horizontal wire section 43 of the wire rack when the prongs 16 are in the horizontal flip-down position, and presses on the bottom of the ring pivot support 37 (or the wire section below the pivot support 37) when the prongs 34 are in the vertical flip-up position.
• the walls 13, cup holder loop section 28, wire rack 16 and legs 14 (and rails 22) of the dish rack 10 may be made of polished, matte finished, coated or painted metal (e.g., polished or

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• Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)

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• 2009
  • 2009-01-29 CA CA2714776A patent/CA2714776C/en active Active
  • 2009-01-29 ES ES09706088.3T patent/ES2439963T3/es active Active
  • 2009-01-29 WO PCT/US2009/000600 patent/WO2009097139A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-01-29 CN CN200980110052.1A patent/CN101977539B/zh active Active
  • 2009-01-29 EP EP09706088.3A patent/EP2252194B1/en active Active

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